Friday, February 29, 2008

So I'm sitting here with my Rainbows ad idea, playing with photoshop trying to figure out how to make my idea come to life. Frustrated? That's an understatement! I think that the Ad program needs to have more than one class teaching how to use all of these software. We have Creative 1 and 2, why not have Multimedia 1 and 2? Too bad budget cuts would never allow for that. Anyway, can anyone tell me the website that has the picture galleries? I can't seem to find it. Thanks!

So I'm playing on an intramural softball team this year. I played baseball in high school but never played softball so at first I didn't know how different it would be. Anyways, we played our first game this past Thursday and beat them 11-0. I had a home run. It was pretty sexy. So if anyone wants to come see some real talent come check me out. I'm No. 94 just in case you guys decided to make some fan shirts. Our next game is March 20 @ 8 PM. Come out, we'll have a little autograph session after.

Looking to add a little creativity to your pad or office? Do it with these shelves! The top 30 most creative 3d bookshelves are listed here. The one to the right was my favorite. I don't think it would make me more studious...but it would make me more comfortable when reading comics!

So my regional manager at work came to town on Wednesday and fired the manager at one of our stores, luckily not my store because I love my manager. But now that he's gone, my manager is going to have to manage all 3 stores until we can train someone new. We've gone through so many employees and mangers in the past year that it's getting really ridiculous. The good news is that I get more hours, so bring on the big paychecks! However, our stores are all doing really horribly with sales which means we're all going to end up with a lame 20 cent raise again this year which I think is BS! Especially because my customer service rocks - I got 2 perfect scores on mystery shop surveys in the past month or so! I would quit but I don't have much longer until I was going to quit anyway. If I can just make it to June, I'll be ok.

But I'm going to see Keith Urban and Carrie Underwood in concert tonight! Woohoo! I'm pretty psyched about it. My plans for tomorrow night should be pretty fun as well bring on the good times! But I have a lot of homework and studying to do as well. *sigh*

Anyways...here's an article that I thought you all might find interesting:

Vermont Eyes Lowering the Drinking Age

MONTPELIER, Vt. (Feb. 29) - More than two decades after the United States established a uniform drinking age of 21, a nascent movement is afoot to allow 18- to 20-year-olds to legally buy alcohol under some circumstances.

Proponents say the higher age hasn't kept young people from consuming alcohol and has instead driven underage consumption underground, particularly on college campuses.

"Our laws aren't working. They're not preventing underage drinking. What they're doing is putting it outside the public eye," Vermont state Senator Hinda Miller said. "So you have a lot of kids binge drinking. They get sick, they get scared and they get into trouble and they can't call because they know it's illegal."

On Thursday, a committee of the Vermont Senate approved Miller's bill to have a task force weigh the pros and cons of rolling back the drinking age and make a recommendation to the Legislature early next year.

Organizations and lawmakers in other states are toying with similar ideas.

In South Dakota, Flandreau lawyer N. Bob Pesall has drafted an initiative petition to allow 19- and 20-year-olds to legally buy beer no stronger than 3.2 percent alcohol.

In Missouri, a group is using the Internet social networking sites Facebook and Meetup to try to collect more than 100,000 signatures to get a measure on the ballot to lower the drinking age to 18.

In South Carolina and Wisconsin, lawmakers have proposed allowing active duty military personnel younger than 21 to buy alcohol. A similar proposal was rejected last year in New Hampshire.

And last year, former Middlebury College president John McCardell started Choose Responsibility, a nonprofit that favors allowing 18-to 20-year-olds to legally buy booze once they've completed an alcohol education program.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving and others call this folly to even consider, saying the higher age limit has saved thousands of lives since the 1984 enactment of the National Minimum Drinking Age Act. The act required states to raise the age to 21 or lose federal transportation money. South Dakota was the last state to comply, in 1988.

Vermont voted to raise the age in 1985, and in the ensuing 20 years, alcohol-related traffic fatalities dropped by 40 percent, according to Vermont State Police.

"Is there any significant support in the U.S. Congress for changing the law? We don't see that," said Chuck Hurley, CEO of MADD.

Typically, when states flirt with the idea, they quickly abandon it for fear of losing the highway funding, he said.

Vermont stands to lose about $17 million a year if it were to flout the federal government and lower the drinking age.

McCardell said an effort is under way to persuade Congress to grant waivers exempting states from financial penalty if they lower the age.

"If Congress would grant a waiver, the states would be willing to try something, and at least then we could get some evidence and see whether things are better or worse," he said Thursday.

Politically, it's a hard sell, in part because there are other public health hazards associated with excessive alcohol consumption, not just highway fatalities.

But proponents of a younger drinking age say alcohol-related highway fatalities were dropping before the legal drinking age was lowered, and argue underground drinking presents its own risks.

In 2006, 28.3 percent of youngsters aged 12 to 20 said they'd had a drink in the past month and 19 percent were defined as binge drinkers, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The survey defined a binge drinker as someone who, in the past month, had drunk five or more alcoholic beverages within several hours.

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

Thursday, February 28, 2008

On Tuesday March 25th, Jean Kilbourne will be lecturing at the Union Ballrooms from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm. For those of you that aren't familiar with her, her website describes her as being "internationally recognized for her pioneering work on alcohol and tobacco advertising and the image of women in advertising. Her films, slide lectures and television appearances have been seen by millions of people throughout the world. She was named by The New York Times Magazine as one of the three most popular speakers on college campuses today. "You should definitely try to make it out!

I was watching tv and came across the M by Mariah Carey commercial for her latest fragance. It's an old commercial but I can't help but think why they would air it in the first place. It's looks like it was done last minute and all I can think is "cheap."

So I'm at work & I get one of those pesky mass-emails sent around the office. I see this one actually has to do with young professionals in Tallahassee, which pertains to me, since I'm trapped in this sort of student-real-job limbo (2 classes + 9 to 5 at Zim = senioritis), so I actually read this one. Needless to say I minorly spazed out when I saw it had to do with CATCH YOUR LIMIT! I was so excited (may or may not have had to do with the 3 cups of coffee & 2 Diet Cokes I've had so far today) I already forwarded it to Tom & Melissa, but everyone should check it out. They are our teachers/pets after all...

Young professionals satisfied with life in TallahasseeFeb. 28 Tallahassee Democrat

Tallahassee is a good place to live and work for young professionals, according to the results of a survey released Wednesday by the Network of Young Professionals (NYP) and organization members. The survey was made public at the group's fifth annual community forum.

"Tallahassee is energizing as a community for young professionals," said Jason Welty, deputy director of legislative affairs for the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice and the NYP board member in charge of economic and professional development, "particularly if you compare responses on the economy and quality of life between 2005 and this year."

The 2008 Young Professional's Survey was released as part of NYP's fifth annual community forum at the Mary Brogan Museum and Tallahassee Community College's downtown campus. The program included a networking session called Opportunity Fair, a general session on community action, and three breakout sessions featuring a panel of Tallahassee and Leon County officials. The event also included overviews of fun things to do in Tallahassee and available outdoor activities.

According to NYP, the survey showed progress in Tallahassee's professional environment (15 percent over 2006), gains by the Tallahassee business community in demonstrating understanding of the needs of young professionals (20 percent) and an enhanced quality of life (9 percent).

Nearly three quarters of those responding to the survey (72 percent) are satisfied or very satisfied with life in Tallahassee, the survey revealed.

The survey was conducted earlier this year by NYP by e-mails "to recognized young professionals" in Tallahassee, as well as postings online at the organization's official Web site and its MySpace page, according to NYP's Stacy Getz.

The survey, developed and sponsored by Tallahassee-based Catch Your Limit Consulting, seeks response on a broad list of questions ranging from ranking how Tallahassee performs as a place to raise a family (87 percent called this important), home ownership (72 percent prefer to own), and opportunity for job advancement (78 percent agree Tallahassee offers opportunity) to what leisure activities young professionals prefer (cultural events, concerts and theater were the top three).

Founding member and past president Melissa Laughon said the survey, now in its fourth year, was developed as a tool to help the larger business community understand the needs and opinions of younger colleagues.

"Let's talk to them in ways they can understand," she said as the reasoning behind the survey's 2005 beginnings.

Laughon praised NYP as a 100-percent volunteer organization providing services such as Welcome Wagon, a program to help young professionals understand all Tallahassee has to offer.

Wednesday, February 27, 2008

I'm not one to randomly bring up politics...especially school politics, but I got five emails last night talking about the elections, that I presume are today. I only actually opened one of the emails because it had the subject line of Online Voting. (But ironically, before Monday's class I was sitting around with a few people talking about this same subject.)

After cutting through the typical bologna of politics I came across this paragraph:

"For the first time ever at FSU, voting will be online and can be done from your home, the library, or any other computer with an internet connection, by visiting http://www.sga.fsu.edu and clicking the “VOTE HERE” link. Voting will be open from 9 AM to 8 PM today."

So if you are interested, vote today. If not, think of how amazing and how neat it would be if all elections were done electronically over the internet. I work for a publication that deals with identity, and I think that this day will come soon. I mean if we start to have electronic medical records at doctors' offices and have enhanced driver licenses, then why can't we become more high tech with voting.

Interesting.... Just think, what will the world be like in 50 years, no scratch that - in 5 years. (Anyone remember Moore's Law?

Monday, February 25, 2008

So this Saturday I have a date function that is called "Seven" and its theme is the Seven Deadly Sins- What's Your Vice?

We are supposed to dress up like one of (or get creative and combo) of the seven deadly sins. The 7 sins are:

1) Lust- an inordinate craving for the pleasures of the body; intense desire for self gratification and excitement 2) Gluttony- the over-indulgence and over-consumption of anything to the point of waste.3) Avarice/Greed- the selfish desire for or pursuit of money, wealth, power, food, or other possesssions, especially when this denies the same good to others4) Sloth- the failure to utilize one's talents and gifts; laziness 5) Wrath- inordinate and uncontrolled feelings of hatred and anger 6) Envy- an insatiable desire for another's possessions or advantages 7) Pride/Vanity- an excessive love of self or one's acheivements

Examples of things to wear could be a fatsuit for gluttony, a lion or paris hilton for pride/vanity (or I was thinking of maybe making a dress out of Vanity Fair covers and mirror accents), dressing as a high roller or putting fake money all over a costume for greed, wearing pajamas for sloth, etc. Its especially good if I can come up with a correlating costume for my date.

There is a contest for the most creative costume, and I haven't thought of anything I'm super excited about yet. So I figured I'd turn to the none other than the most creative advertising students and teachers ;0)

I'm sooo ready for spring to get here. Yesturday we had a 'touch' of spring with a beautiful warm and sunny day. When I woke up and went outside my first thought was that I'm putting on my bathing suit and heading to the pool and it was one of the best days I've had in awhile. Today was beautiful too but unfortunatly I had to work, but of course the cold weather is upon us. I'm just sick of this cold weather. Its so depressing and the rain last week was ricidulous. The whole time I sat inside my house and did nothing. All I'm saying is I can't wait for Spring Break to get here so I can leave this depressing place. Don't get me wrong I know Tally can be beautiful, but I'm just ready for spring and the beautiful weather to come back. I talk to people from South Florida and their all going to the beach and loving life. The Winter is soo overrated, but since I'm from South Florida I guess I just love the sun and the warm. I know I'm venting, but please come back warm weather and stay here for good.

Greenbook is an application on Facebook that turns your page "green" and allows you to cut down on CO2 emissions. I think its a really good application and a chance for everyone to cancel out the pollution that your computer and Facebook servers produce. The link below explains how this works.

Last night I saw Vantage Point with a couple friends. We were waiting on Kat to arrive at our house so we could leave for the movie, and Sam kept saying, "where is she? If she doesn't come soon we need to go to a later movie or we'll miss the previews." All the other girls were agreeing with her and began looking up later movie times to avoid missing the previews.

I smiled to myself as I realized that one form of advertising was so successful that instead of discussing the product (the actual movie), the consumers were discussing the advertising for futre products.

Then we got to the movie and after each preview one of the girls would ask, "are we there?" inquiring if we would have to see that movie as well. After almost every single preview, the girls would agree that it was a must-see.

Then I realized one more thing. We would never see all of those movies. Two weeks from now if I brought up one of the movies we saw a preview for and suggested we go see it, no one would care at that point.

So what is the industry doing wrong? We look forward so much to the previews, yet, we're not inclined enough to actually go see it later.

As I was leaving Circle K, I saw one human being approach another and ask for money, but I couldn't hear the story of why it was needed. The one who was asked became irate, his face turned red and he shook his fist a little and yelled something about getting a job. Most of the other human beings walked past with their heads down, avoiding eye contact and trying to slip by to avoid being approached. Some just said, "No thank you."

When I was 8, my dad gave me my first pocket knife. I remember the pride I felt when this gift was bestowed upon me. I held my breath in excitement as he demonstrated the different tools and blades. It had three blades; it wasn't shiny, but was older with a wood-like grip. He warned me not to open the third, smaller blade as it was stuck. Impressed with my new gift but also determined to see the unusable blade, I began working at it as soon as my dad left. After several attempts at grabbing the indention on the blade with my finger nail, it popped open, suddenly slicing my thumb down the middle in the process.

I did a my-thumb-is-bleeding dance on the stairs while I waited for my turn until one of my parents looked up and noticed what had happened. Quickly, they rushed to help me. I think they still feel bad for making me wait to speak, but fortunately I survived the wrath of that mysterious third blade. They wanted me to learn not to interrupt, but when it came down to it, a bloody thumb is more important.

The ideals we hold are an important part of who we are. Accountability seems to be an important one of those ideals in our world, one that is even linked to the natural world. If an animal wants to survive, it must hunt, forage or do what it takes to find food.

In our world, a person is held accountable to earn his or her own wage. But as important as the ideal of accountability is, our ability to have compassion may be one the most distinguishing traits we have as humans. Compassion is when we say accountability doesn't always matter. We understand that people need help at times and that, as people ourselves, it is our moral obligation to help them.

The question is, at what point does accountability no longer matter? At what point does sticking to our ideals do more harm than good?

A lot of people seem to get upset, even mad, when asked for spare change. I've seen people I respect get physically upset at the sight of a homeless person.

"People should earn their money," they say.

People should. It would be nice. Even if someone should, if they haven't, perhaps can't or perhaps won't, then what?

Despite this "should," there is still a human being — a person — who doesn't have food to eat. When it comes to a person's survival, is teaching a lesson on accountability the best use of our resources?

Now compare the person at the Circle K to the Publix cashier who asks if you'd like to donate a dollar to the March of Dimes. I've never seen anyone lose it on them. Organized charities do great things, but what is it about organized charity that doesn't offend our sense of accountability like the man on the corner?

Having ideals is important, but why does everyone seem to suddenly have such strong ones when it comes to having compassion for another human being? This isn't about the homeless. They are simply an example of when we choose accountability over a bleeding thumb.

“It has been proven that a sleepy driver is just as dangerous as a drunk driver”

I began to google this afternoon, searching for something that caught my eye to blog about. Well this tid bit of information did it for me. Especially since I was falling asleep while my search engine was running. So I began to read about college students and their sleeping habits, or lack their of. Take a look at the article I linked. It's pretty interesting and extremely accurate in my opinion.

So I was waiting for the bus this morning and some students were discussing politics. I was excited/relieved because when Heath Ledger made it as CNN's TOP story a few weeks ago, I started loosing faith in my very own generation.

Pop culture is great and is obvioulsy a very integral part of advertising. But as the future of this country, we should be informed about what is going on in the world and the U.S. before we are concerned with the details on an actor's death.

Needless to say, I was pleased to hear my peers discussing these newsworthy issues. Until, I discovered their reasons behind choosing which presidential candidate they favored most.

They had decided which presidential candidate they voted for in the primaries by taking an online quiz. I was unable to find this quiz, but I heard them discussing a few of the questions and from only one course in advertising research it was apparent to me that these questions were very slanted.

Not only that, but the female was arguing that she voted for Hilary Clinton almost entirely because she was a woman. I am a female myself, yet, I have never and will never vote for a candidate because they are black, white, female, male, etc. I vote for candidates because I have similar goals for our country.

Anyways, I am pleading that any of you who have decided on your candidate of choice because of an online quiz, sexuality, or race, PICK UP A NEWSPAPER! Please, be informed about the candidates. Your vote is determining our future, so spend some time and do some research.

But to help make it easier, our family is a HUGE dog family, so we went out and spent all week going to puppy mills to find a new love. We fell in love with the standard poodles and decided to stay with them. So now I'm going to introduce to you Cheyenne and Rosco!They were born December 22nd, 2007 ironically also from St. Cloud and came home with us Feb 23rd, 2008. Cheyenne is our female, and she is ridiculous. She was the runt of the litter but has been spoiled literally form the moment she was born so she thinks she is a big dog. And has learned to knock over fake trees, steal shoes twice her size, and successfully beat up her bigger brother. Rosco is our male, and the first black poodle we've had. He is a biter, chewer and troublemaker. He likes to follow people around the house so if you ever were to visit you would have to watch your step for him.

This is my Super Awesome family! From left: Mom( Jody); Dad (Rick); my younger brother Spencer; Jackie my older sister and Me! Lets give a little story of each one of their lives. My mom was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Costa Mesa, California when she was 5. As a teenager and young adult she went to College at Cal State of Fullerton, while attending worked at Disneyland, with her older brother Drew. She practically grew up on the beach in Newport (it was not like it is now), and her favorite food is Mexican. My dad was born in Connecticut and moved to Detroit, Michigan when he was little too. There he went to Southfield High School ( I think), and worked with my Grandpa in Olympia (It is where the Detroit Red Wings used to play till they built Joe Louis Arena) and then went to college at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Later he moved to California which is where he met my mom. My Grandpa has his 90th birthday on Thursday. Now for my brother and sister, born and raised in Tampa, FL. Spencer, 17, is a senior at Gaither High School. He is pretty much the funniest person, defiantly should do some kind of acting, but for now he plays football, because he is huge (6'2' 240; that's TE or LB, or O-line material). My sister Jackie, 23, is working in Pharmacy, she graduated from USF, and is working for some medical sales company. She used to swim, like me, but injured her shoulder, now she is a shopping fanatic. Those are the siblings.

As I was thinking about a future career in advertising I thought about our class discussion last week about VCU and their program and decided to get a little more information about it. Looking at the site It seems like a pretty cool concept for a grad program. Is a grad degree in Advertising really worth it thought? I have heard that it is the experience more than the education that gets you far in any Communiations job. Then again, having two more years of education will bring experience along with knowledge. Anyway, as I was looking through the site I came across a link that shows the 2007 salaries for jobs in the advertising field and though I'd share it. The link is below. Hope everyone had a great weekend!

For my fellow "relaters" out there check out the kind of firms you might like to work in if you're seriously considering a job in "creativity." This week's spotlight is Seltzer Design! It has some big name Boston clients with a very small staff--only 4 employees. So its close knit, big salaries, with rewarding work. Sound like the place for you? Check it out--->

I'm all better from the flu and I feel great! I'm so happy to feel normal again!! That flu was no joke it seriously put me out of commission so definitely be careful and take your vitamin c....

Anyhoo.....this morning I read an article in the Nytimes about a blogger who got famous! I was happy to see him referred to as a blogger because I always called it that but I never heard anyone else say it lol. Well anyways the blogger, Joshua Marshall just got the George Polk award for covering the story of eight attorney generals that got fired. The George Polk Award I learned, is a prestigious award for journalists who do media coverage on politics and such. His blog is actually the first ever to get that award which is cool. So I think its great that bloggers are getting famous. Who knows maybe we'll be next..... ;-)

So I been employed by the Olive Garden for 2 years, and I must say it has been a roller coaster. Whoever thinks that employing 70 college students ages 18-25 together is a good idea...should think again. As an age group we are irresponsible, lazy, opinionated, and rude....or at least thats what our clientèle thinks. I however feel like I am the opposite of all of those things. I am to work on time every time, I have called in once in 2 years, I bite my tongue 20 times a day, and I am as pleasant as humanely possible. You would think compared to all of our other employers the managers would notice....but they do not. For the most part our managers are rude, impatient, and unforgiving. I know that their job is hard, and they work a lot of hours, but my life is hectic too. I think they forget that when most of us aren't at work we are at school... which in and of itself is another job on it's own...well at least for me! I don't know where I am really going with all of this I just hate my job. I go to work annoyed that I have to go there, and I leave work mad because of all of the things that happened to make my job harder. The hardest part for me is how rude and condescending people can be. I just want a job I can enjoy...bottom line....but the bills have to be paid, and my availability sucks with school. I will deal with it...I have for two years...but maybe I need to introduce my managers to some Fish principles, maybe that would help.

Ideas are like bricks. Sometimes if you throw them out there too fast or too hard somebody can get hurt. Bricks are like ideas. They don't come from the "no where". You never REALLY know where they come from but you know that they build things. Buildings aren't really like bricks or ideas but their made out of them. I'm not made out of bricks, this is just an idea, I think. Sinks break when people aren't even using them, so what made them break? Ideas are like sinks. They come when your not even trying to break them, but then again bricks aren't easy to break. What happens when you put a brick in a sink? Whick one breaks and which one sinks, not floats? Why do some boats float when they carry bricks, but sink when they're made out of bricks? I guess ideas are a little like boats; do whatever makes them float. Unless your ideas are like submarines which means they sink and float. Then do one or the other but not both. Both come from ideas but ideas don't come from boats. Unless you have an idea when your on a boat, then I don't know.

Hey Guys,So of course I'm gonna talk about the Oscars because they were last night (and I love everything that has anything to do with movies). There were a lot of movies nominated that I have never even heard of like "There will be Blood" and "No Country for Old Men." We're those even in theaters? Well, "No Country for Old Men" won Best Picture. A French woman won Best Actress which is surprising. And EVERYONE wore red! That was for sure the hot color of the night...I guess they wanted to match the red carpet. There were a lot of celebrities missing last night to, like Leonardo Dicaprio, Kate Winslet, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, Halle Barry, and so many other familiar faces that I'm use to seeing at The Academy Awards. Oh and Jessica Alba is pregnant!? I had no idea! With who? But it was a great night all in all. Ok so here's our new 'class symbol' for Creative 1...It's Baby J! See you guys in class!

As a Campus Ambassador for StudentUniverse I'm extending this invite to you guys to sign up to win your spring break for free! Don't miss a chance on this awesome opportunity!

"StudentUniverse.com and Cheapflights.com have teamed up to bring you the best Spring Break vacation deal. We'll fly you and three of your friends or family members to the Spring Break destination of your choice. We'll throw in some spending money, too! Enter to win cash prizes toward your Spring Break vacation. Go where you want on us..."

My blog this week may be rather sad, but its 2 in the morning and it's pretty much the only thing on my mind. I'm not sure if you all have heard or not, but one of my sorority sisters took her life this weekend. Of course, things like this always make people re-evaluate their lives and what they are doing in it. It brings up a million questions and very few answers. No one knows why she did it. That answer can only lie with her. I'm sure it has been a multitude of reasons. One thing I can say for Kristin, however, is that she is-hands down-one of the most amazing people I have ever met. She is one of the few people that I saw live life to the fullest. I feel like people always say that about people after they pass away, but it was beyond true for her. I have more crazy/hilarious/heartwarming stories about her than anyone else I've ever met & I only knew her for a little over a semester.

Yes, I'm fine. I've been asked by over a billion people-so I just thought I'd clear it up. We have victim advocate like stalking our house, and if I see the freaking phone number for another hotline I'm going to set it on fire. and I'd hate to be the person that has to clean the wax from 300 candles off of our porch. I still randomly start crying for no reason (soooo I might be THAT girl in class). I guess with all of this rambling I just want people to really appreciate their relationships with others. You never really know what a person is going through-so be nice to everyone. And maybe ask your friends how they're doing-how they're REALLY doing-every once in awhile. It might mean the world to them. And let go of all your judgements. Everyone's messed up in some way-some people are just better at hiding it. But always look around because someone somwhere thinks you're amazing (i know i hate lame stuff like that too lol), I just wish that kristin would've known that.

Okay guys sorry for sounding like a preacher...but really what else did you expect me to write about? :) I'll see you guys in class tomorrow & don't be scared to talk to me about it-I'm not going to freak out or anything :)

Britney is finally getting better! I am a huge Britney fan and its been hard seeing her go through these rough times and seeming completely insane. I always knew that she would get better...or at least I am still praying that this will be the case! Her parents are taking a bigger role now on getting her back on the right track. She is teaching children how to dance and she has even been practicing her own moves. And the best news of all is that she just recently was able to see her children!I really hope she can pull through and get her act together! She is an amazing artist and entertainer..I just know that one day she will prevail and overcome these hard times! Even if it means that she will never be in the spotlight again its ok with me. Hopefully she can recover, be left alone by the paparazzi, and give her two beautiful baby boys the attention they need.Piece Of Me is one of her songs on her album Blackout about being harassed by the media.

I was looking around on the internet and I don't know how, but I stumbled over this funny/interesting article. I'd thought I'd share it in the blog. It is a list of 10 old computer ads that are pretty funny. The Microsoft Excel ad is pretty ridiculous.

I saw a new ad for the iPhone the other day. It featured a college student accessing Facebook through their iPhone. It made me realize that while we talk about it as a powerful tool in our Ad classes and presentations, that was the first time I had actually seen a commercial giving a nod to Facebook.

Sunday, February 24, 2008

This video was made by students. Its pretty impressive. We are always talking about tacking creativity and I think this video gives pointers in an interesting and fun way. However I have to disagree that alcohol takes away all creativity! Here it is:

The economic situation right now is getting a lot of people nervous, specially in our field, but like Tom said a couple of classes back, instead of looking at the situation as the world's end, maybe it could be an opportunity to get ahead when no one expects it. This article made me remember what Tom said that day.

Make Your Brand Mean Something

Rengen Revisited: Stand Out in a Period of Intense Cultural Transformation

By Patricia Martin

Published: February 18, 2008

The trouble with making a living in marketing is that it can be pretty tough to conjure a meaningful existence during shadowy economic times like these. How much hair gel can we sell to resurrect the dollar? Can a new breakfast cereal prop up Wall Street? Can a five-blade razor restore our faith in the future? Didn't think so.

Patricia Martin is author of 'RenGen: Renaissance Generation - The Rise of the Cultural Consumer and What It Means to Your Business,' and president of LitLamp Communications Group, Chicago.

Yet, we all love what we do. And I'll venture reasons why: We are creative, and we want to help people succeed. It is those two impulses that will give our profession new relevance over the next decade as our culture dies and is reborn.

Our unraveling economy is part of a deeper cultural metamorphosis. From the restructuring of home values to the reorganization of mass communications, we are witnessing the disruption that occurs when the dominant civilization loses its relevance and another rises to replace it. We are becoming a renaissance generation -- RenGen, a generation that is smart, self-expressive, idealistic and cynical all at once.

History shows that the seeds of the first great renaissance were steeped in conflict and waste. YouTube, Facebook and MySpace are all evidence that our society is gearing up to become very creative -- just in time to solve some serious problems.

So what do we do in the interlude while the RenGen gears up? How do we create meaningful campaigns when so much is up for grabs?

There are three brand archetypes that will hold appeal in these times.

Idea brandsIdea brands, such as Apple, use magical thinking to appeal to consumer intellects. Many of you will balk at this because you know that emotions sell products, but the RenGen uses the mind to conjure feelings of emotional wellbeing. In the same way that physical exercise gives us a high, scientists have discovered that a stimulated mind triggers a similar sense of happiness.

Compassion brandsAs uncertainty grows to the point where people feel personally threatened, they'll seek comfort. This goes beyond warm and fuzzy. Compassion brands deliver love, kindness and even a little catharsis. Kleenex could have capitalized on the anxiety of the cold and flu season but opted instead for the brilliant "Let It Out" campaign that crosses gender, class and age demographics, inviting people to cry their hearts out.

Anxiety brandsPeople are fearful. It is possible in such an environment to win by offering a sense of protection or an anchor to which people can cling. But anxiety brands can backfire. Note the reaction to Hillary Clinton vs. Barack Obama. She is an anxiety brand. Obama is an idea brand. A wise marketer will infuse a little compassion or magical thinking into the anxiety messaging or else the consumer will become overwhelmed with negativity and shut down. FedEx is a good example of an anxiety brand that infuses its service-ethic with compassion saying, "We are in the peace-of-mind business."

As you read this, please keep one thing in mind: Our worldwide situation gives us all the chance to reinvent who we are and what we do. In the RenGen, there is no safe passage for brands that are willing to insult the intelligence of consumers who are increasingly expressive, inner-directed human beings. They are aware, for instance, that the environment and our survival in it are interconnected in perilous ways. They are aware that world financial markets are linked and interdependent in unprecedented ways. This may feel like a point of crisis. But in fact, it looks a lot like what happens right before a renaissance, and marketers can play a critical role in ushering in the RenGen.

In these times, a creative industry can shine. Our talent is for helping create a context for people.We are needed now more than ever.

I am blogging right now, praying I don't loose internet. I am not a computer genius, so that could be why I remain confused as to why my new Mac can decide when it feels like opening a webpage. It tells me I am connected to a certain network, but recently it's been a matter of prayer (i suppose?) as to whether it is really connected or not. This is beyond frustrating!

On to other things, my Ad research midterm and my solo speech are taking over my life right now...and I think they did something with my creativity, too. Hopefully it will return soon!

By the way, is anyone going to the Keith Urban/Carrie Underwood concert friday??

As Black History Month draws to a close, I noticed that MTV did something that was complete different than any other network when it comes to honoing Black History. MTV virtually created a a viral marketing campagin with Dr. Cornel West front and center. In his various 15 -30 Second spots he disscusses a number of topics form America's wealth to hip hop music. Take a look at what is Ivy Legue professor has to say about various issues at mtv.com.

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I must say that I am extremely excited for the next two weeks. There are a lot of exciting events coming up very soon. This coming weekend I will going to Atlanta with Liz, Joseph and many other people from Ad Club. We are going to visit four awesome agencies including BBDO. I can't wait to see other agencies besides Zimmerman. It will be great to see how different the environment and community is at other agencies. Of course, we will also have a great time hanging out in the city and going to Six Flags on Sunday. I haven't looked into it, but I'm hoping that Six Flags has A LOT of roller coasters.That is not even the end of the fun... The week after our trip to Atlanta Liz and I both turn 21. I do believe it is quite self-explanatory why that week will be amazing. Thankfully, I will be getting a Macbook for my 21st birthday, and I don't know how much longer I can wait!Well, I'm going to continue on with my other homework. Hopefully I can concentrate knowing that all of these exciting times are coming up! I hope everyone is having a great weekend! See you all Monday

There are many things I don't understand about this world. For one, why wouldn't you want to be in it. Many horrible traumatic things can happen to you but they are just hurdles for you to overcome. One of the great things about college is that you live in a community. However, why are communities not close anymore? Communities are not intimate. We no longer know people's pain. Unfortunately, I am one of those people who don't know their neighbors. So what do you do when your neighbor is gone and you lost the chance to get to your neighbor? All I'm left with is a ghost next door and a brooding head of questions.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Has anybody had the chance to see it? I got the chance to watch it this past Valentine's Day, and it's just ridiculous. I think the SLC will be playing it in a few weeks and I highly recommend that you go see it then. Let me just say that I RARELY go to the movies, and in this case I only went to see this film since it was an assignment for film class. But damn am I glad that I did. In this day and age of homogenous, mass-appeal garbage that Hollywood consistently puts out (think Meet The Spartans) it is refreshing to see a film that exemplifies the core components of great film making in a variety of ways.

The synopsis is that a man named Llewyan in rural Texas who comes across a briefcase worth $2 million from a drug deal gone horribly wrong. A sadistic hitman named Chigurgh (played by Bardem) is after the stolen briefcase and vows to kill anybody who stands in his way. The story is narrated by an aging lawman (played by Tommy Lee Jones) who is approaching the twilight of his career and is facing the greatest evil he has ever encountered as a police officer. The movie is as much a cat-and-mouse chase throughout Southern Texas as it a psychological expose of Jones' character, who is realizing that he simply can not keep pace with the intensifying chaos of the world around him.

Look out for some phenomenal performances by Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem (who is nominated for a Supporting Actor Oscar), excellent cinematography and gripping dialogue that brings you on a tour-de-force of intense, powerful story-telling. It is one of the harshest, most realistic thrillers I've ever seen and is arguably the Coen Brothers' greatest work yet. I will be literally stunned if this film does not win any Academy Awards. As mentioned before, Bardem is up for a Supporting Actor (which he almost HAS to win) but NCFOM has been nominated for Best Picture as well, alongside Juno, Atonement, and others. To my recollection, it might even be up for Best Adapted Screenplay as well since it is based on a novel of the same name.

So if you get the chance, take a trip out to a local theater and give this film a viewing. I guarantee you that $6.50 later, you will have absolutely no regrets that you were able to watch one of the highest-quality films put out in over a decade.

So the past few days I have truly experienced a few great things all because I am part of the advertising industry.

The first wonderful event was while I was at my internship with the FSView. Rachel and I had to bring a few samples of Ads that were going to run in last weeks issue to a couple of clients. Our first stop was Narcissus the high fashion boutique here in Tally. We walked in and spoke with the client and showed her their current Ads we created but before leaving she made sure we shopped around a bit. We got to shop for bathing suits and beautiful clothing all while on the clock.

Our next stop was Oasis Fitness Salon for Women. Here we were trying to seal a deal with the owner to run ads in our special health edition of the FSView. The woman had a lot of questions; however, her main concern was that we get a hydro massage before we left. We were basically forced to stop and get a 15 minute hydro massage fully equipped with relaxing rain forest music and complete darkness. The woman told us if we didn't try her product she wouldn't advertise with us. There was not much we could do but go lay down and relax while enduring a wonderful massage. That was a great Perk!

The next two perks of the industry came while I was interviewing at a company called Appleton Creative in Orlando. The owner who was interviewing me was extremely nice and by the end of the interview she was offering to take me with her to the Orlando Addy Gallery Night. The Addy's in Orlando just so happened to be this weekend while I was in town. This agency made the book for the Addy's and received all these free tickets to the event and NONE of them were going. I was offered to go with them to the Gallery Night before the actual Addy's and then she gave me two FREE tickets to the Orlando ADDY Awards Gala!!! Talk about a perk!!! I am very excited!

So I learned a lot this week and experienced a heck of a lot all because I got into Advertising! I Love this industry!!!

You are all invited to Dominican Student Association's annual Independence Day Dinner. It is this Saturday, February 23, 2008 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. in the Student Services Building (SSB) room 203. You can come with as many people as you'd like. Attire is casual to semi-formal. There will be lots and lots of FREE authentic Dominican food, plenty of entertainment, and lots of music. I'd love to see you all there; come out and support!!! You don't have to be a member to come and again there's no fee.

PS: The purpose of the Dominican Student Association is to implement Dominican influence and culture into the broader FSU community both on and off campus by working with and conducting events in the cultural, social, and educational spectrums. I am the current President. If you are interested in learning more about the organization, respond to dsa.fsu@gmail.com.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

So when I got home last week I kinda felt bad for how hard I was on the idea of a “FSU Advertising Agency/ GradSchool” because it made me think back to my own high school.

38 years ago a guy named Ray Anderson had a crazy idea, (to the left is ray in his office) to start a high school that was student run with no rules. Today, that same idea everybody has looked at as “crazy” has been in Newsweek for the past 12 years (ever since the “top high schools in America list has been posted”) as a top 10 high school, as well as part of the best 7 years in my life. (you can also Google us in the Washington Post under “hippy high”) (ps we were 4th my year! Woop woop!)

“Sometimes I feel like you kids go to summer camp with books, not high school; and I’m the coordinator of “CampWoodlawn!” –Elly K. 10th grade history teacher.

-Rule one was there were no permanent rules (besides the ones the county forced us to have b/c we were still “public” AKA no guns etc.)

-Students got together every Wednesday to decide and go over the rules. The meeting was optional (therefore you only went if you cared about voting on a topic). Now a lot of the rules were fun, the seniors would get the entire class to show up and pass a law saying “only seniors could park in the lower lot,” but if they voted yes, then it was a rule! (until the next week when all the juniors would go to the meeting a reverse it of course). This “Town Meeting” covered everything from vending machines, to school dances, to test taking policy. We once went an entire semester without tests b/c as a school we voted that your grades should be based on effort, not test taking abilities. The principle’s vote counted just as much as a 6th graders; and everybody did what was best for the school.

-going to class was OPTIONAL. The point of our school, was it was fostered upon the bases of respect and descion making. If you wanted to go out to coffee with your friends instead of going to class, that was your choice… but you’re the one missing out. A lot of the times when I “skipped” class I would see the teacher later in the hall, and feel so guilty, because at HB the teachers were your friends, always willing to help (in all sylabus’s they put they’re home phone #’s, screen names and would always sit around the couches with us and watch TV. Oh ya the couches.

-At my school there were no lockers. Well they’re were, but nobody used them. Everybody just threw their backpacks on the floor, because nothing ever got stolen, we all trusted, respected the school’s philosophy way to much.

-couches lined our halls. We had lounges with TV’s and would often nap and just “hang out on the couch” durning free blocks and inbetween classes

-“free blocks” were high school heaven. The way you made your schduel (yes YOU make it) you got one hour a day to do whatever you wanted. (most of us would put it before or after lunch so we could go out to eat) but the students also ran EVERYTHING from fund raising, dances, year book, tee shirts… we did it all, so we used that time to have meetings and go talk to teachers (well sometimes J )

-the teachers. At such a crazy school, you have to understand that it takes a special kind of teacher student relationship. For that reason, we were taught to look at our teachers as our friends and because their vote at “town meeting” counted no more then our vote, the feeling was they were no better then us… for that reason we called them by their first names. My teacher senior year were “Randy (“Randers), Ellen, Mark, Kris, Elly, Ginny, Dave… you get the point.

Ok so I just wrote a lot but like most “HB Woodlawn Alum” I’m so proud of this crazy experiment, that was just creative and crazy enough to work. Next time I rip up on an idea I’ll try to stop and think of my principle, Ray, proposing the Arlington County Board a school that is completely run by students with no rules…

PS thanks for everybody who voted for me! I’ve got a fun night out in hot-lanta planned! haha

Here is a little Thursday treat that will keep your mind going. We heard about this last year, and to is amazing that such a big company like Phillips is doing something so daring. There is at least the second version, but I don't know for sure since I don't go here very often.

Keep this kind of strange stuff in mind when planning projects and think of new ways to approach the same old problem, or maybe the problem that no one else wants to address.

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Did anyone notice the robots today on campus? They're part of a "campaign" that V89 (FSU's radio station) has started to raise awareness of their pledge drive that will be taking place in two weeks. The robots danced together in the union, danced with passersby, walked around Landis...

Also, here's the pig that Creative I voted on:^ ^ ‘ ‘(. .)

I tried to add a body but it's difficult. If someone can figure it out, go for it!

I ran across something interesting today when I was looking for an internship. Top Model is having auditions in Tallahassee at Chubby's. The auditions are on Saturday, March 1st from 5:00-7:30pm. Anyone who isn't going to Atlanta should go try out, and don't forget csONE when you make it to the top!!!! BTW is our new logo up yet?

Last weeks presentations were great! It is so cool to se how many different ideas can come from such a small class. I especially enjoyed the profiling that Rachel, Stacy-lynn, Tanner and Ryan chose, as well as the Superhero idea. Can't wait to se what we all have to offer for the final project.

Honestly, there is nothing I find more annoying than my e-mail box filling up with dumb requests from classmates the day before an assignment is due. Don't get me wrong, I am all for cooperation between peers, however, those who know me can confirm that I am not for carrying the weight of another simply because they are lazy. ALSOOOO... I really hope everyone knows that when they send out class e-mails via Blackboard, the professor is copied on them. For example, we have a small assignment due in my Sociological Theory class this morning. These are the e-mails I received since last night:

"was wondering what assignment 3 is, i havent been there. I have the flu right now so i was going to email him the paper tomorrow..thanks for any help i get"(9:44p)

"can someone please help me with the assignemnt, i just dont understand it at all"(9:45p)

"Does anyone know what is going on in West Virginia that we are supposed to be writing about?"(10:45p)

and my personal favorite...

"Ok, Im so lost in this class right now. How are we on the third assignment?! I know about the first one but what was the second one? And the third one is the movie right? Which I didnt see so if anyone is really good and summarizing and could fill me in that would be awesome! Thanks guys!"(10:55p)

...maybe this is the punishment I get for getting a Sociology minor... Comm students would never do this! Or would they?

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Madison Avenue thinks a tasty approach will give new life to Welch's grape juice.

Welch's is taking out full-page print ads in People magazine this month that give readers a chance to sample its grape juice by licking the ad. The front of the advertisement shows a huge bottle of the juice, while the back has a strip that peels up and off, with text that reads: "For a TASTY fact, remove & LICK."

Welch's hopes flavored strips make its ads stand out.

Marketers are excited about the prospects for lickable ads, but also have to deal with the "ick" factor. Since magazines are often passed from reader to reader (think doctors' offices) there is a good chance that saliva could be left on the ad. Readers are supposed to peel off the entire sticker on the Welch's ad before licking, says First Flavor, the company that developed the technology used in the ad. If someone doesn't rip off the whole sticker, First Flavor says, the flap can't reseal, giving people an easy way to know whether the ad has already been licked.

While scent technology -- such as scratch-and-sniff ads or fragrant ink -- is commonplace in magazines, lickable ads are still in the experimental stages. CBS was one of the first companies to offer them in a marketing campaign. The network's flavor strips, which ran in copies of Rolling Stone magazine in New York and Los Angeles last fall, gave readers a taste of lime-flavored mojitos. The ad, the brainchild of Interpublic Group's Initiative, promoted the fictional rum brand that is central to the plot of the CBS series "Cane," which stars Jimmy Smits as the head of a family that owns a Florida rum business.

"We struggled with the concept," says Greg Castronuovo, senior vice president and group account director at Initiative, the media-buying firm that worked on CBS's mojito ad. "There is a lot of pass-along in magazines -- I had a little bit of aversion to it; it's a little unsanitary, perhaps."

First Flavor, the small, privately held company in Bala Cynwyd, Pa., that worked with Welch's, also did in-store marketing patches for a new flavor, dubbed Brilliant Sparkle, of Church & Dwight's Arm & Hammer Advance White toothpaste. First Flavor has been experimenting with how far it can push its technology, and has created test ads that taste like everything from cheese pizza to soy milk and children's cold medicines.

In some lickable ads, including the Welch's ad, some of the essence of the actual product is added to the strip, while in others, the strip is made up of unrelated flavors, both natural and artificial. Creating savory flavors such as pepperoni pizza is particularly tricky. "It's difficult for the consumer to get the feeling that they are tasting the product," says Jay B. Minkoff, chief executive of First Flavor.

Welch's says it suspects some folks will pass on the free taste test. "A lot of people won't lick a magazine no matter how good it tastes," says Chris Heye, Welch's marketing chief.

The company, which is owned by a cooperative of grape growers, says it went to great lengths to make sure the ad tasted good and that the ingredients used in the lickable strip met safety guidelines laid out by the Food and Drug Administration. It says it spent weeks conducting consumer taste tests and enlisted more than 50 company employees to try the lickable ad. The ad was created by WPP Group's JWT.

Print ads present a unique challenge for marketers because they don't typically have "sound or motion," the two things that tend to make ads stand out, says Paul Caine, president of Time Inc.'s Entertainment Group, which includes People magazine. Adding taste is one way to create a new way to grab reader attention, he says. People has experimented with adding sound chips to some print ads.

Welch's says the ad costs a couple hundred thousand dollars more to create than a normal national print ad because it had to pay to make the sticker plus an additional fee to People for the added production costs. The ad will appear in the Feb. 18 issue of the magazine, which has a circulation of about 3.6 million.

Getting people to use multiple senses to process ads is a good way to build a stronger connection with consumers, ad experts say. "It's hard to forget whose brand you are licking," says Lisa Haverty, a cognitive scientist who works in the marketing field.

Assuming, of course, that the consumers like what they taste. "If the taste is unpleasant or not good, the ad could flop worse than a regular ad," adds Ms. Haverty.

During my Basic Marketing Concepts class I learned about this amazing website that gives you an indepth view of market segmentation broken down by zipcodes. It is simple, specific, and very reliable information. Find out who's in your neighborhood; who's your customer. Check it out!!!

I had some relatives in town this weekend and last night we all got together and had a wonderful family dinner at my parents house. My little cousin Emma is ten years old and a huge fan of rap music. After dessert Emma decides to put on a show for the family and perform a dance routine that she has been working on for a school talent show that is in two weeks. The music starts.... its Soldier Boy! Emma knew the entire dance all the way through including moves that she threw in. The family cheered and laughed, replayed the song over and over, and by the end of the night my moms side of the family had become Soldier Boys.

My cousin also loves spongebob squarepants, so here is a clip that has the best of both worlds.

I am from Boca Raton, Florida which is about 45 minutes away from Miami and I have traveled down there multiple times to shop and go to the beach with friends. We would desperately try getting into the clubs...every time we would go we tried at least 4 or 5 places and we were never let in! I had come to terms that it was a hopeless cause until I was the golden age of 21.

I am still only 20 but this weekend I was shown the light!

Thank God for connections…it was a friend’s 21st and she knew people so we got what I would call the star treatment!

I am just going with the happy flow…

and then we arrive (by limo) at Sky Bar the place that I have always wanted to go to!

We get to the door and I was a little nervous but two minutes later we all walked right in! It was such a completely different atmosphere and I almost felt sinful. Everyone was extremely trendy and looked flawless.

Lance Armstrong and Christina from Grey’s Anatomy were there!

Miami doesn’t close at 2am like it does here…so at around 2:30 we continued our journey and walked right into another club!

We danced the night away and had such a fun time!

This experience was worth being rejected so many times!

http://www.shoreclub.com/ (sky bar and red bar...the first place I went to)

It's hard to believe how quickly the semester is flying by! It's already the middle of February! Well, I wanted to blog asking all of you for suggestions for a costume. I'm going to a date function themed "shipwrecked" this coming Saturday. Last year I went as a pirate but I figured I would tap into the most creative people on campus for ideas. Help! =)

First of all, I'd like to extend a hardy and heart-felt 'thank-you' to ole Mother Nature. She shied away from her usual methods and only gave us a month of cold weather. What a rebel!... What a friend!

Secondly, The NBA's Allstar break went down this weekend. To my enjoyment, it proved to be better than ANY other Allstar break ever- including when Michael Jordan was still playing.

And to finish my post off... Probably the funniest thing I've ever seen in my life. Let me explain:I was the Designated Driver for my fraternity for Tuesday night of last week. At about 1:00 AM, I wasn't getting any calls so i decided to get some late night grub at Whataburger. Inside was packed full of underaged drunks (yes, they're THAT easy to point out) but one kid was just out of his mind. He was lying on top of the counter where you order food, then tried to go into the kitchen to cook some french fries. He was belligerent- but soon changed his tune once an officer of the law arrived on the scene. (Note that nobody called the cops on this kid, this is just where they are stationed so no ruckuses break out)

So the kid played it cool. He acted like a normal patron, just waiting for his greasy dinner. Then he decides to walk right up to the cop and start up a conversation. Hindsight would show that this was a terrible idea because... well, i just usually I try to avoid cops when i'm drunk.

Anyways... he got that look in his eye and before anyone could do anything, he puked in the middle of the restaurant... all over this nice police officer's pants and shoes.The place errupted. The kid was wishing he had just stayed home that night... instead he got taken for a ride downtown in the paddywagon.

Creativity

“It’s like washing a pig. It’s messy, it has no rules, no clear beginning, middle or end: it’s kind of a pain in the ass, and when you’re done, you’re not sure if the pig is clean or even why you were washing a pig.” - Luke Sullivan